Which Model MSI Laptop

[mattias1172]

Ive been debating different msi gaming laptops to get and can't decide what i want to sacrifice in one model to get in another.  The ones i am strongly considering are:

 

MSI GS60 ghost pro 3k Display

 

MSI GS60 ghost pro 1080p Display

 

MSI GS70 Stealth Pro 1080p Display

 

MSI Dominator Pro 1080p Display

 

 

Now i know a lot of people may suggest the 3k model because its going to look awesome, be really cool, etc but there are some pretty strong factors in the other laptops as well.  

 

MSI GS60 Ghost Pro 3k:

-3k Display, Great graphics and visually stunning.  Who wouldn't want a 3k display really?

-More expensive then the 1080p variant.  On some sites where i can have custom components installed in the laptop, i could have faster ram installed, raid 0 configurations installed, etc if i go for the cheaper 1080p model since the price is almost equal to the 3k model after upgrades.  

-lightweight at less than 5lbs and thinner than a quarter.  

-shorter battery life because of 6 cell battery to make the device smaller. 

 

MSI GS60 Ghost Pro 1080p:

-still great looks with the full hd display.  

-cheaper, meaning i can have better components installed and come out around the same price as the stock 3k model

-still lightweight

-main reason I'm considering this is the better ram i can have, raid 0 config, hybrid drive instead of a hdd, etc because of the cheaper price to allow these upgrades

 

MSI GS70 Stealth Pro 1080p:

-Other than the size, this laptop is exactly the same as the GS60 Ghost pro 1080p and is also cheaper than the 3k model, and i could have the better components installed

-main reason for considering this is the 17inch screen vs the gs60 15inch screen and still being lightweight and thin. 

 

MSI Dominator Pro 1090p:

-this laptop is a little different than the others. It sacrifices lightweight and size for performance.

-almost 9lbs and much thicker than the others

-comes with a 880m gpu as apposed to the 870m in the others listed with 8gb of gddr5 instead of 3gb.  

-base model is cheaper than the 3k model GS60 meaning i could have better components installed.  The dominator series allows me to have a better faster cpu installed than both the GS60 and GS70 for relatively low cost.

-option for up to 32gb of ram as apposed to 16gb limit in both GS60 and GS70.

-can have an internal optical drive as apposed to needed an external drive with both the GS60 and GS70

-much larger battery at 9 cell allowing for increased battery life

 

 

So there are basically three things I'm trying to balance over one another:

1-Display quality

2-Upgraded performance 

3-size/weight 

 

 

If anyone has any suggestions/feedback/experience/etc i would love to hear it.  In case anyone asks, this computer will be used for both gaming as well as work and a very good chance it may be used for mobil editing when away from my main desktop.  

 

Thanks

[kainobean]

i personally like the bigger laptops over the thin light ones. and i also dont feel that mobile graphics really have the power to driver more than 1080p at a good fps for games but maybe the 880m will be able to do that. so i think the 3k ghost is a bit out of the question if it was me the screen density is nice but can the gpu in there really run games at the res at a good fps experience probaly not. i also really like the 17in screen size it is very nice and dont feel that large to me. i have a g750jx laptop by asus so yeah big bulky thing and i like it. if you would like portability id probably go wiht the "stealth" if thin and light is not a huge issue then the dominator for sure that thing is a beast of a laptop and wiht a gtx880m in it, you will have no problem running most any game well should also run cooler since it is larger wiht bigger heatsinks. as for display 1080p on a 17in screen is a nice experence 3k might get to small but your face will be basicly rihgt on top of the thing anyways so im not sure it really matter. hope this is somewhat helpful. these are just my thoughts and opinions others will probably disagree wiht me on somethings.

[mattias1172]

i personally like the bigger laptops over the thin light ones. and i also dont feel that mobile graphics really have the power to driver more than 1080p at a good fps for games but maybe the 880m will be able to do that. so i think the 3k ghost is a bit out of the question if it was me the screen density is nice but can the gpu in there really run games at the res at a good fps experience probaly not. i also really like the 17in screen size it is very nice and dont feel that large to me. i have a g750jx laptop by asus so yeah big bulky thing and i like it. if you would like portability id probably go wiht the "stealth" if thin and light is not a huge issue then the dominator for sure that thing is a beast of a laptop and wiht a gtx880m in it, you will have no problem running most any game well should also run cooler since it is larger wiht bigger heatsinks. as for display 1080p on a 17in screen is a nice experence 3k might get to small but your face will be basicly rihgt on top of the thing anyways so im not sure it really matter. hope this is somewhat helpful. these are just my thoughts and opinions others will probably disagree wiht me on somethings.

i see where your coming from.  the only issue i have with big and bulky, is i have a dream pc desktop, I'm looking for portability when i don't wanna lug that desktop around (or can't) so i can't really seem to justify the heavy rigs worth the better performance for that reason.  As for the display performance, the 870m is powerful enough to run a 3k display for gaming, not max settings, but it can.  I do agree that the 3k model might have some size issues especially with older software thats not optimized for it.  I realize i kinda jump back and forth, I'm just thinking out loud. Ive been heavily considering the GS60 pro model with the 1080p display because i can upgrade the thermal paste, ram, and do a raid 0 config for the same price as the base 3k model.  But i haven't ruled our the Gs70 yet since the 17inch screen is appealing.  

[Kiwiandapple]

Oké, I have to say I am not a laptop expert and always suggest a person to just buy a desktop. But since you allready have a desktop and still want to have a gaming laptop. I did spend some time looking for one. 

I have to ask you, how much will you game? Look at your daily life and perhaps weekend life and see how much you would use this? As well keep in mind how much you would use this without having a power outlet. (This is important for battery life) 
I did keep in mind some of your statements. Being light and having upgradeability. 

 

http://www.amazon.com/MSI-GE70-Apache-Pro-061-17-3-Inch/dp/B00IMTQ4BK/ref=sr_1_8?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1404112766&sr=1-8&keywords=msi+gaming+laptop#productDetails 

 

Why do I suggest this somewhat cheaper laptop? Because you will be able to run games on it, with somewhat lower settings just fine. I am sure you would be just fine with this, because of your gaming PC at home? 

To me a "gaming laptop" is still very niche and I always suggest a person (just did) to buy a basic laptop for basic needs and a desktop for gaming. So I don't see the point of spending a whole lot of money on just a laptop. 

[Scionyde]

While I generally prefer thicker laptops over ultra thin ones for their cooling ability, I'm pretty sure MSI still uses a single fan to cool both the CPU and GPU in their GT series, so I personally dislike that. So, if you're absolutely sure you want an MSI laptop, I'd probably recommend either the GS60 or GS70 (1080p) since money would probably be better spent on customizing hardware rather than a 3K screen (just my opinion, though). As far as I can tell, the main difference between the GS60 and the GS70 (aside from the size) is that the GS70 has room for an extra mSATA SSD. 

 

If you do get one of these ultrathin laptops, keep in mind they're not intended to be used on your lap while gaming. Because of the ultrathin form factor, the surface temperatures of the bottom of the laptop can reach over 130-140 F under load, which will be pretty damn uncomfortable. 

[mattias1172]

thanks for all the feedback.  I felt i should update this post and say i went for an msi gs70 stealth pro with 3 128gb ssd in a raid 0 config, 16gb of ram, 1 tb hard drive, 870m gpu, and the rest that comes stock with the gs70.  For anyone else looking at these laptops, i highly recommend it.  Incredible boot times, read/write times, good performance for its since with the 870m, awesome keyboard, fast internet, i couldnt be happier.  The only three issues i have with this laptop are the brightness of the keyboard lighting (could be brighter), the lack of media controls in the keyboard such as pause, skip, etc, and the quality of the speakers.  Speakers do sound flat and slightly distorted but whats to expect with laptop speakers? i plan on getting a nice headset/headphones anyways.